New Milford ShopRite Construction to Begin Soon

Editor’s Note: This story was first published earlier in the week but here it is again in case you missed it.

A new and improved ShopRite in Milford could open as soon as next summer.

According to an article in the Milford Mirror, construction at the former Showcase Cinemas site on Cherry Street will begin soon.

Owner of the supermarket, Harry Garafalo was quoted as saying the new grocery store will be 68,000 square feet.

The parking lot will accommodate 340 cars.

To read the entire article, click here.

At April’s Economic Development Commission meeting, developer John Ceruzzi Jr, of Ceruzzi Properties, who owns the former theater site, said plans include a 26,000-square-foot space for one or two retailers, and a family style sit-down restaurant along the lines of a Chili’s or TGI Friday’s. He said no specific tenant has signed on as of now.

The new larger ShopRite will also include gas pumps, Ceruzzi said.

The new ShopRite will be about 20 percent larger than the current building. Ceruzzi purchased the property for $5.7 million last year from National Amusements Co.

“That store positions us to be in Milford a long-time,” Garafalo said.

Ceruzzi said the project may be done in phases with the restaurant and 26,000-square-foot building open in the middle of 2015. The development is likely to generate a combined 70 new jobs, including 40 for ShopRite.

The five ShopRite’s owned by Garafalo employ 1,100 employees.

Patch Editor Brian McCready contributed to this article.

Photo credit: ShopRite.com.